Scottish Executive

Arts

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what assistance it is providing to theatre.

Euan Robson: Executive support for theatre, as for all art-forms, is largely channelled through the Scottish Arts Council (SAC). The total SAC drama budget for 2004-05 is £12,792,900. This includes initial funding of £3.5 million for the National Theatre of Scotland for which further funding of £4 million per year up to and including year 2008-09 has been identified.

Business Tax

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive why its Comparative Study of Business Tax Revenue shows that business property taxation in Scotland is 17% higher than in the rest of the United Kingdom.

Mr Tom McCabe: Table 4.2 of the Comparative Study of Business Tax Revenue shows that total tax revenue raised from business in Scotland relative to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is lower or comparable to most of our competitors with the exception of the United States, Ireland and Austria. This is reproduced in the following table:

  Table 4.2 – Business and Transport Tax Revenue Relative to GDP, 2000

  

Country
Revenues as a Percentage of GDP


Corporate Income Taxation
Employers’ Social Security
Business Property Taxation
Business Transport Taxes
Total


Austria
2.1
7.2
0.2
0.2
9.8


Belgium
3.7
8.5
0.1
0.9
13.2


Finland
5.5
8.8
0.3
0.5
15.1


France
3.2
11.3
0.6
1.0
16.1


Germany
1.8
7.3
0.3
1.0
10.4


Ireland
3.8
2.7
0.6
0.9
8.0


Netherlands
4.2
4.7
0.6
0.9
10.4


Scotland
3.5
3.6
2.1
1.1
10.4


Sweden
4.1
11.9
0.5
0.7
17.2


UK
3.7
3.5
1.8
1.4
10.4


USA
2.5
3.5
1.5
0.2
7.7



  Source: OECD (2002); GERS (2003).

  As can be seen, revenue from business property taxation represents 2.1 per cent of GDP in Scotland, as opposed to 1.8 per cent for the UK as a whole. However, as the report stresses, comparing individual taxes in isolation is misleading. Furthermore, comparison of total tax revenue raised from business follows the methodology and definition used by the Confederation of British Industry in their paper, UK Manufacturing: Strategy into Action, published September 2003. Such a comparison reveals that the overall tax revenue raised from business in Scotland is 10.4 per cent of GDP, the same level as in the UK. This level is comparable to Germany, and the Netherlands, and less than countries such as France, Finland, Belgium and Sweden. As is stated through-out the report, comparing individual tax revenues in isolation can be misleading and the 17 per cent figure quoted in your question, which is a percentage of two percentages, has limited meaning.

Business Tax

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take as a result of its Comparative Study of Business Tax Revenue showing that business property taxation in Scotland is 17% higher than in the rest of the United Kingdom.

Mr Tom McCabe: I refer the member to the question S2W-11981 answered on 18 November 2004, and would again stress the limitations of such comparisons.

  The Scottish Executive is committed to creating the conditions to maximise sustainable economic growth in the medium and long term. The Executive’s strategy to deliver this is laid out in the recently refreshed editions of The Framework for Economic Development in Scotland (Bib. number 33705) and Smart Successful Scotland (Bib. number 34212).

Cancer

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the allocation of £4.5 million two years ago for three PET scanners in Aberdeen, Glasgow and Edinburgh has resulted in these scanners being available for patient use.

Mr Andy Kerr: In March 2003 the Scottish Executive announced £5 million capital investment from 2004-05 to support the development of PET services in Scotland. The three Regional Cancer Advisory Groups and their constituent NHS boards are currently developing a national consortium approach to plan the phased development of PET services in Scotland.

  Arrangements can continue to be made with the existing PET facility in Aberdeen or elsewhere for patients requiring a PET scan.

Carers

Margaret Mitchell (Central Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many elderly people are registered as carers.

Mr Andy Kerr: Every day in every part of Scotland carers make an invaluable contribution to the care of vulnerable people, and I acknowledge that with thanks today. Most of the carers are middle-aged or young, but a significant proportion are older people. The last census indicated that there were then approximately 71,000 carers in Scotland aged 65 and over. That represents about 12% of the estimated total of carers and about 9% of the population aged 65 and over.

  Since we published our Carers Strategy five years ago, we have delivered a range of measures to assist carers as partners in the provision of care. In particular:

  we have quadrupled the resources available to local authorities to provide for carers;

  we have introduced new legislative rights for carers, and

  we have required local authorities to identify carers and advise them of their right to an assessment.

Child Trust Funds

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Her Majesty’s Government regarding the implications for the Executive of the introduction of child trust funds.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive is in regular discussions with Her Majesty’s Government on a variety of matters including the introduction of child trust funds and the implications for the Executive.

Council Tax

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities offer council tenants the facility to pay home insurance premiums along with rental and council tax charges.

Malcolm Chisholm: The following 27 local authorities operate a home contents insurance scheme for tenants at a modest premium paid along with rent:

  

Aberdeen, City of
Inverclyde


Aberdeenshire
Midlothian


Argyll and Bute
Moray


Clackmannanshire
North Ayrshire


Dundee, City of
North Lanarkshire


East Ayrshire
Perth and Kinross


East Dunbartonshire
Renfrewshire


East Lothian
*Scottish Borders


East Renfrewshire
South Ayrshire


Edinburgh, City of
South Lanarkshire


Falkirk
Stirling


Fife
West Dunbartonshire


*Glasgow, City of
West Lothian


Highland
 



  Note: *The housing stock of Glasgow and Scottish Borders has been transferred to community-based registered social landlords. These local authorities have retained responsibility for operating the insurance scheme for tenants who transferred, and also offer insurance to new tenants of the social landlords concerned.

  Dumfries and Galloway Council has transferred its housing stock to the Dumfries and Galloway Housing Partnership, which operates a home contents insurance scheme for its tenants.

Dentistry

Nora Radcliffe (Gordon) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to investigate and improve the operation of NHS contracts for dentists.

Mr Andy Kerr: I too am concerned about this important issue. I fully recognise the problems of access to dental services in Scotland and that some dentists are withdrawing NHS provision. That is why we are currently taking a fundamental look at the way NHS dental services are provided, including the remuneration system for dentists. The forthcoming response to our dental consultation, which we hope to make shortly, will include further measures to support NHS dentists. In the shorter term, we have already provided £12 million over the past four years towards dental practice improvements, and have introduced a package of recruitment and retention measures (e.g. golden hellos).

Digital Technology

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will fulfil the commitment made by the Deputy First Minister on 16 September 2004 to ensure that exchanges not enabled for broadband by BT are enabled in a supplier-neutral and manner-neutral way ( Official Report col. 10227).

Nicol Stephen: The Executive is committed to delivering broadband access to every Scottish community by end 2005. This is being taken forward by an open procurement exercise which is both supplier and technology neutral.

  We will target those areas where BT are not enabling exchanges for broadband, as they clearly have no forecast provision. However, this may not necessarily result in exchange upgrades, as potentially any technology or mix of technologies could provide broadband coverage in these areas.

Digital Technology

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many broadband connections have been made as a direct result of its pathfinder project.

Nicol Stephen: As yet, no broadband connections have been made as a direct result of the Pathfinder project.

Earnings

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many households have (a) one wage earner and (b) two, (c) three and (d) four or more wage earners and whether there are any recognisable trends in the projections of such households over the next 10 years.

Mr Jim Wallace: The number of wage earners in a household is not collected. However, the number of people in paid employment in each household can be estimated from the Labour Force Survey. These estimates are reported in table 1. The Scottish Executive does not produce projections on wage earners per household.

  Table 1: Number of Households by Number of People in Paid Employment, Scotland, Spring 2004

  

 
No. of Households


1 person in paid employment
660,000


2 people in paid employment
609,000


3 people in paid employment
113,000


4 or more people in paid employment
27,000



  Source: Labour Force Survey, Spring Quarter 2004.

Education

Alex Johnstone (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on Aberdeenshire Council’s interpretation of the European Convention on Human Rights that pupils aged 16 or over, who are excluded from school, have the right to have this information withheld from their parents.

Peter Peacock: It is the responsibility of Aberdeenshire Council to ensure its policies comply with the law.

Education

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any new guidance is planned for schools in respect of school trips.

Euan Robson: We expect to publish guidance on Health and Safety on Educational Excursions later this month.

Education

George Lyon (Argyll and Bute) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether Rothesay Academy is under consideration to be a designated School of Ambition.

Peter Peacock: We are establishing a panel to oversee the programme and consider the first participants and expect to announce the first schools on the Programme in the New Year.

Education

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much each local authority has spent per capita on secondary school pupils in each of the last five years.

Peter Peacock: Gross local authority revenue expenditure per pupil on secondary education for the years in question is given in the table. 2002-03 is the last financial year for which information is available.

  Expenditure Per Secondary Pupil in Pounds

  

 
1998-99
1999-2000
2000-01
2001-02
2002-03


Aberdeen City
3,222
3,600
3,728
4,132
4,638


Aberdeenshire
3,051
3,251
3,464
3,897
4,642


Angus
3,232
3,376
3,614
3,981
4,343


Argyll and Bute
3,373
3,420
3,718
3,964
5,067


Clackmannanshire
3,256
3,470
3,495
3,647
4,463


Dumfries and Galloway
3,140
3,322
3,420
3,768
4,069


Dundee City
3,355
3,600
3,804
4,219
4,779


East Ayrshire
2,974
3,189
3,268
3,692
4,502


East Dunbartonshire
2,982
3,193
3,308
3,615
4,290


East Lothian
3,050
3,447
3,595
3,954
4,465


East Renfrewshire
2,959
3,151
3,295
3,670
4,177


Edinburgh City
3,406
3,647
3,762
3,986
4,473


Eilean Siar
4,981
6,215
6,322
6,413
7,738


Falkirk
3,054
3,197
4,110
4,803
5,321


Fife
2,987
3,088
3,310
3,630
4,162


Glasgow City
3,549
3,504
3,779
4,127
5,755


Highland
3,236
3,529
3,815
3,879
4,869


Inverclyde
3,290
3,580
3,657
4,014
4,357


Midlothian
3,331
3,557
3,616
3,921
4,218


Moray
3,256
3,480
3,635
3,865
4,238


North Ayrshire
3,170
3,420
3,659
3,920
4,641


North Lanarkshire
3,115
3,333
3,527
3,820
4,464


Orkney Islands
4,498
4,819
4,996
5,391
5,949


Perth and Kinross
2,983
3,167
3,186
3,596
4,824


Renfrewshire
3,133
3,312
3,435
3,843
4,380


Scottish Borders
3,077
3,228
3,409
3,559
4,650


Shetland Islands
6,950
6,181
7,352
6,906
9,118


South Ayrshire
3,096
3,393
3,609
3,963
4,719


South Lanarkshire
3,027
3,227
3,303
3,721
4,059


Stirling
3,264
3,532
3,592
4,011
4,586


West Dunbartonshire
3,082
3,344
3,550
3,821
4,807


West Lothian
3,225
3,423
3,398
4,032
4,409



  Source: LFR1 returns submitted to the Scottish Executive by local authorities and the annual September Pupil Census.

Energy Efficiency

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-10827 by Johann Lamont on 13 October 2004, when information for the two years to 2003 regarding the percentage improvement in energy efficiency will be available.

Johann Lamont: I have asked Angiolina Foster, the Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

  The Third Home Energy Conservation Act Progress Report for Scotland, covering the period April 2001 March 2003 is being compiled at present. While publication of the Third Progress Report relies on information being supplied by other organisation, it is hoped that the report will be available later this year.

Enterprise

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it is encouraging Scottish enterprise in China.

Mr Jim Wallace: Pursuing success in global markets is a key theme of the refreshed A Smart, Successful Scotland strategy published last week. We recognise that there is huge potential in China and we are committed to a long-term approach to helping Scotland grasp the opportunities.

  The First Minister made a week-long visit in October to raise Scotland’s profile and support the links with China being developed by Scottish businesses and educational bodies like the Scottish Qualifications Agency. I myself will travel to China in January next year to lead a mission of life science companies and deepen our relationships with senior contacts. And given its growing international significance, China will continue to be a priority for future ministerial programmes overseas.

  Tailored assistance for Scottish companies to navigate complex Chinese markets is available from Scottish Development International (SDI). SDI first opened an office in China 10 years ago and now has two bases in Beijing and Shanghai. Firms can also access further support through the wider network of Scottish and UK trade bodies operating in China.

  In 2005 SDI will mount a targeted campaign across Scotland to raise awareness of business opportunities in China. SDI plans to double staff numbers on the ground from four to eight to cope with the expected increase in demand for support.

Enterprise and Lifelong Learning

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how often it will publish progress reports on meeting Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Targets 1 to 3 in Draft Budget 2005-06 .

Mr Jim Wallace: Enterprise and Lifelong Learning’s targets 1 to 3 refer to increasing business expenditure on research and development, improving the productivity of Scottish industry, and improving Scotland’s entrepreneurial performance respectively. Progress towards meeting these targets will be reported through the annual budget documents, along with all others set out in Building a Better Scotland: Enterprise, Opportunity and Fairness  (Bib. number 33956).

  In addition to this, Targets 1 and 2 are progress measures for A Smart, Successful Scotland and are reported on in the reports Measuring Progress Towards a Smart, Successful Scotland (Bib. number 34212).

Environment

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what area of land is designated for restoration at Upper Beoch through sewage sludge incorporation.

Lewis Macdonald: The area covered by the relevant waste management exemption is a single block covering the former opencast workings at Beoch, with a radius of approximately one kilometre centred on grid reference NS 5140 0970.

Environment

Chris Ballance (South of Scotland) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will direct the Scottish Environment Protection Agency to conduct a thorough survey of radiation levels in the Solway Firth.

Ross Finnie: There is no need for such a direction as the Scottish Environment Protection Agency already undertakes regular monitoring of radioactivity in both the terrestrial and marine environment around the Solway Firth and publishes the results on an annual basis.

Environment

Mr Mark Ruskell (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is considering increasing the funding available for the Biodiversity Action Grants Scheme.

Lewis Macdonald: We are delighted that the Biodiversity Action Grants scheme has been very well received and we decided to top up the scheme from contingency funds for 2004-05. Decisions on future funding for the scheme will depend both on the availability of resources, and on the level and quality of applications in future years.

Fire Service

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to refer decisions relating to the number of fire control rooms in Scotland to the UK Government; if so, on what basis and what the reasons are for such a decision and, if not, when it will make a ministerial statement on the issue.

Hugh Henry: The Scottish Executive does not intend to refer decisions on the number of fire control rooms in Scotland to the UK Government. It will be for Scottish ministers in consultation with Scottish stakeholders to decide on the most appropriate arrangements for Scotland. We are currently considering the responses to our consultation exercise on the consultants’ report on the future of fire control rooms in Scotland and will make an announcement in due course.

Fisheries

Dennis Canavan (Falkirk West) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive what recent representations it has received regarding ownership of, and access to, freshwater fishing.

Lewis Macdonald: The Executive regularly receives and considers representations about ownership of, and access to, freshwater fishing.

Fisheries

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in respect of regionalisation of the Common Fisheries Policy.

Ross Finnie: I was delighted to host the first meeting of the first Regional Advisory Council (RAC), the North Sea RAC, in Edinburgh on 4 November. We expect two further RACs in which Scotland has a major interest, the North Western Waters and Pelagic RACs, to be established in the course of next year.

Flooding

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken to assist householders who are defined by postal code as being a flood risk and are refused home insurance or asked to accept excess payments that range from £5,000 to £25,000.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive has been advised by the Association of British Insurers that insurance companies will continue to provide home insurance cover to existing customers where plans are in place to provide flood defences by 2007. Following the Spending Review 2004, the Executive has more than doubled its planned investment in flood defences. A programme of over £110 million will be taken forward with local authorities over the next three years to reduce the risk of flooding.

Football

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-7415 by Mr Frank McAveety on 4 May 2004, whether a steering group on implementing the Action Plan for Scottish Youth Football has been established; if so, who is on it, when it was set up, when it has met, what the agreed outcomes have been to date, who was invited to sit on it and what the criteria were for membership and, if it has not been set up, what the reasons are.

Ms Patricia Ferguson: Following the launch of the Action Plan for Scottish Youth Football in March, an Implementation Steering Group was established by the SFA and had its first meeting on 14 June. It has now met on three occasions with the most recent meeting on 9 November. Its membership is drawn from a range of organisations relevant to youth football in Scotland and includes representatives of the Executive and  sportscotland. Meetings of the group discuss a range of issues relevant to the implementation process.

Football

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the announcement on 30 March 2004 by the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport of funding for the Scottish Football Association’s (SFA) Action Plan for Scottish Youth Football, how much funding has now been allocated; when the remainder of the funding will be allocated, and why such funding is allocated through sportscotland rather than directly to the SFA.

Ms Patricia Ferguson: The Executive and  sportscotland have agreed to make available £12.2 million towards the agreed funding package of £31.1 million for implementation of the action plan for youth football. it will be for the implementation steering group to determine how and when the funding is to be allocated against agreed work programmes. Executive and lottery funding for sports governing bodies in Scotland is routed through  sportscotland as the national agency for the development of sport in Scotland and it is therefore wholly appropriate that funding for the action plan is also routed through  sportscotland. Some of the funding may be allocated to bodies other than the SFA.

Fuel Prices

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to energy companies regarding fuel price rises.

Malcolm Chisholm: I wrote to the three major fuel supply companies in Scotland on  Thursday 4 November to ask them to consider a social tariff to be offered to people on Pension Credit so that they should not have to live in fuel poverty. Officials are in regular contact with these companies.

Fuel Prices

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any calculations have been carried out on the impact of fuel prices rises on fuel-poor households and, if so, whether the results will be made available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answers to S2W-11811 and S2W-11820 on 10 November 2004. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Health

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive how it is ensuring access to hospitals and health services for all citizens.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Executive is committed to ensuring that all the people of Scotland can access the services they need when and where they need them. GPs, pharmacists, dentists, nurses and other therapists are now providing more services as close to home as possible. For many services where previously patients were required to visit hospital treatment is now available in local communities. Where people need to attend hospital for treatment, we have guaranteed maximum waiting times for in-patients and a new guarantee for out-patients comes into force at the end of next year.

Housing

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive how many new and improved homes were completed for social rent and low-cost home ownership in the financial years (a) 2001-02, (b) 2002-03 and (c) 2003-04, broken down into homes provided by housing associations for rent, housing associations for low-cost home ownership, private developers and individuals and homes improved.

Malcolm Chisholm: The following table gives the available information.

  Houses Built or Improved for Social Rent or Low-Cost Home Ownership by Year of Completion

  

 
2001-02
2002-03
2003-04


Built by local authorities
65
94
0


Funded by Scottish Executive – Housing Investment Programme 


Housing Association – Rent 
4,570
3,839
3,596


Other – Rent 
59
169
58


Total for Rent
4,629
4,008
3,654


Housing Association – Low-Cost Home Ownership
 245
 213
 152


GRO Grants for Owner Occupation to Private Developers
 1,253
 794
 284


Grants to Individuals 
 52
 53
 64


Total for ownership
1,550
1,060
500


Total for local authorities and Scottish Executive – Housing Investment Programme 


Total for rent and ownership
 6,244
5,162
4,154


Of which:-
 
 
 


New building
5,640 
4,682
3,749


Rehabilitation
604
480
405

Housing

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive how many new and improved homes for social rent and low-cost home ownership approved with funding from Communities Scotland were completed in the financial years (a) 2001-02, (b) 2002-03 and (c) 2003-04.

Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

  Ministers have given a commitment to approve 18,000 new and improved homes for social rent and low cost home ownership in the three years up to 2006. The principal mechanism for funding this new affordable housing is the Scottish Executive Housing Investment Programme. The number of new and improved homes for social rent and low-cost home ownership approved with funding from Communities Scotland which were completed in the financial years 2001-02 and 2003-04 are as follows.

  

 
Social Rent
Low-Cost Home Ownership


2001-02
4,629
1,550


2002-03
4,008
1,060


2003-04
3,654
500



  The number of completions in an individual year is largely determined by the nature of the projects approved for construction in previous years. Large or complex housing projects, especially when linked to wider regeneration initiatives, will take over a year to be completed and in some instances, there is a time-lag in the recording of this data and these figures can therefore be subject to revision.

Housing

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it differentiates between shared equity and shared ownership schemes.

Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

  Shared ownership enables people who cannot afford outright purchase to buy an equity stake in a property. Sharing owners must also make an occupancy payment to a registered social landlord to obtain exclusive occupancy of that property.

  Shared equity also enables people who cannot afford outright purchase to buy an equity stake in a property. Shared equity differs from shared ownership however because a shared equity owner would not make an occupancy payment to a registered social landlord. A shared equity owner would be expected instead to maximise the use of their available funds towards the purchase of an equity stake in a property. They would therefore be expected to have a larger equity stake in a property than would be the case with shared ownership.

Housing

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how communal repairs will be charged under shared equity home ownership schemes

Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

  Communities Scotland will shortly issue a discussion paper outlining the Executive’s proposals for introducing a range of shared equity tenure models. This paper will set out principles for the practical operation of these models, including the apportionment of communal repair costs.

MMR Vaccines

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether health workers have at any time in the last year entered schools and administered MMR vaccinations to children without written parental consent and, if so, which schools.

Mr Andy Kerr: This information is not held centrally. Consent must always be obtained before immunisation. It is standard practice to obtain written parental consent prior to administration of any vaccine in schools. This process is generally managed in partnership with NHS boards. If there are any incidents where this has not happened, it would be the responsibility of the NHS board to treat it as an adverse event, investigate fully and put in place arrangements to prevent recurrence.

Marine Environment

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will make commitments in respect of the marine environment comparable to those recently made by the Prime Minister, the Secretary of State for the Environment and the Minister for Nature Conservation and Fisheries.

Ross Finnie: Decisions about how best to manage Scotland's seas will be taken once the analysis of responses to the consultation "Developing a Strategic Framework for Scotland's Marine Environment" is complete.

Mental Health

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many child (a) psychologists, (b) psychiatrists and (c) psychotherapists there are in each NHS board area.

Mr Andy Kerr: Due to the detail required a copy of the data (Bib. number 34428), which provides the position at 30 September 2003, will be placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre in due course.

NHS Staff

Eleanor Scott (Highlands and Islands) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive how many allergy specialists there are in the NHS.

Mr Andy Kerr: Allergy management was only recognised as a specialty in 1999. Therefore, at present, treatment is provided by health professionals with an interest in allergies from a variety of specialties and disciplines, chiefly immunology but also respiratory medicine, dermatology, ENT surgery and ophthalmology.

  Between 1999 and 2003, there has been an increase of three consultant immunologists and the latest statistics show no vacancies in this specialty.

  The majority of cases of clinical allergy diagnosis and management are likely to be straightforward and take place appropriately in the primary care setting without referral to secondary care physicians.

  Consultant-led immunology and allergy services are available in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow with these services also acting as reference centres for other areas.

National Health Service

Christine May (Central Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the service provided by the NHS is carried out locally.

Mr Andy Kerr: Over 90% of patient interaction with the NHS in Scotland starts and ends in primary care.

  What is most important is that people get the right care in the right place. That place should be as local as possible with services as specialised as they need to be. In Fife that is happening on a number of fronts. For example, the one-stop cardiology clinic being developed in St. Andrews; a managed clinical network for cardiac services, and access to new services in primary care through initiatives like specialist nursing care for older people and psychological therapies based in GP practice.

National Health Service

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the roles and responsibilities are of (a) it, (b) the Health Protection Agency and (c) NHS boards in relation to hospital-acquired infection.

Mr Andy Kerr: The role and responsibilities in relation to Healthcare Associated Infection (HAI) are as follows:

  (a) The Scottish Executive Health Department (SEHD) sets strategies and priorities to improve the health and safety of both patients and NHS staff in relation to HAIs, and ensures that systems are in place to monitor standards and progress.

  (b) The Health Protection Agency (HPA) has no remit with regard to HAI in Scotland. The equivalent organisation in Scotland is the Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health (SCIEH), which will be subsumed within Health Protection Scotland (HPS) when the latter becomes operational in April 2005. SEHD is leading activity related to the HAI Task Force, and SCIEH is an important source of scientific, technical and epidemiological advice to SEHD and NHSScotland. Discussion is currently taking place about the role of HPS in taking these areas forward in future.

  (c) NHS boards are required to implement policies and guidance as part of their responsibility for clinical governance and risk management. They are also required to review their own performance in relation to tackling HAIs and to take action to further improve performance.

National Health Service

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many hospital (a) wards and (b) bays have closed as a result of infection problems in each year since 1997.

Mr Andy Kerr: This information is not held centrally. Hospital facilities such as theatre, intensive care units, wards and bays may be temporarily closed on the recommendation of hospital infection control teams to allow investigation of actual or potential causes of infection, to protect patients, and to allow disinfection work to take place.

National Health Service

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many infection control teams reported that their recommendation to close a ward or hospital to admissions for the purpose of outbreak control was refused or discouraged by their chief executive in each year since 1997.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Scottish Executive has no record of any such reports.

National Health Service

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the reasons are for the variations in cleaning costs per square metre in hospitals, as reported in Scottish Health Service Costs (NHS Cost Book 2004).

Mr Andy Kerr: There are a number of reasons for variations in cleaning costs per square metre across NHS Scotland, primarily relating to the size of hospitals and the resultant economies of scale. In addition, a number of hospitals outsource cleaning services and therefore a direct comparison year on year is not possible.

Organ Donation

John Farquhar Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the proposed NHS Miscellaneous Provisions Bill will include measures to increase the supply of organs for donation.

Mr Andy Kerr: In response to the Parliament and the Health and Community Care Committee, we have decided that the provisions on retention of organs and transplantation merit a separate Bill. That will allow the Parliament to give full and focused consideration to these important issues. The human tissue legislation will be introduced as soon as the Smoking, Health and Social Care Bill has completed its stages.

  This decision may mean waiting three or four months longer for the new legislation on human tissue, but at the end of the day we believe the legislation will be the better for handling it in this way.

Planning

Gordon Jackson (Glasgow Govan) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what Network Rail’s permitted development rights are in respect of conservation areas and sites of special scientific interest.

Malcolm Chisholm: Class 34 of Schedule 1 of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Scotland) Order 1992 (the GPDO), grants a general planning permission (or permitted development right) for development by railway undertakers or their lessees on their operational land, required in connection with the movement of traffic by rail. Class 34 does cite specific exceptions, including the construction of a railway, hotel, railway station or bridge. The GPDO does not contain a general restriction on the use of these permitted development rights in conservation areas or sites of special scientific interest.

  Permitted development rights generally may be restricted in individual cases and a planning application required as a result. For example, most conservation areas, designated under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997, are subject to directions under the GPDO which specify restrictions on classes of permitted development rights particular to the individual conservation area. A further example is where areas are designated Natura Sites under the EC Habitats or Wild Birds Directives. The Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations 1994 contain restrictions on permitted development rights which may have the potential to affect Natura Site qualifying interests. Where a development may be likely to adversely affect the integrity of designated site an appropriate assessment of this a legal necessity. Also, where a project required environmental impact assessment under the planning provisions of the Environmental Impact Assessment (Scotland) Regulations 1999 (Bib. number 4851), then the permitted development rights would not apply and a planning application would be required.

Police

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will approve the use of Taser guns by police forces.

Cathy Jamieson: We have supported the use of the Taser gun by police forces in Scotland as a less lethal alternative to a firearm under certain strict conditions. These include the provision of rigorous training for police firearms officers and that the circumstances of any deployment during the first six months will be reported to a committee set up to monitor and assess the medical implications of its use.

  While it is an operational matter for chief constables to determine the appropriate response to any firearms incident, I am satisfied that Taser provides the police with another tactical option that is less lethal than conventional firearms.

Post Office

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to provide substitute services for communities to replace those lost as a result of the closure of post offices across Scotland.

Malcolm Chisholm: Royal Mail, Post Offices and postal issues are reserved matters and the UK Government remains committed to a viable network of post offices across the country. The Scottish Executive recognises the importance of the availability across Scotland of services provided by the Post Office network. The Executive has put in place a £2 million fund to assist urban deprived areas to retain service provision and is also working with partners, within its devolved powers, to assist them in the development of other innovative ways to deliver Post Office services.

Research

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has issued to Scottish Enterprise in respect of investment in, and assistance for, scientific research and commercialisation of medical research.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Executive has produced guidance for its own officials and those of Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise on the Scottish Research and Development Scheme (Bib. number 34477) which forms the basis of State Aids notification no. 650/2002. A copy of the notes has been placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre.

Roads

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to upgrade the Balmedie to Tipperty section of the A90 to dual carriageway status.

Nicol Stephen: It is too early to say. We are committed to consult the North East Scotland Transport Partnership (NESTRANS) on the conclusions of the final report on this section of the A90. This is due to take place shortly. I will then take a decision on what upgrading should be carried out on this section.

Voluntary Sector

Alasdair Morgan (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects training to be delivered to the first response volunteers in the Drummore area of Wigtownshire.

Mr Andy Kerr: Over the past two years, the Scottish Executive has invested an additional £16.5 million in the Scottish Ambulance Service enabling it to put 220 more paramedics and technicians on to front line emergency ambulances. This investment has also enabled the service to begin to develop more than 50 community first responder schemes which are designed to augment the paramedic-led emergency service. These initiatives are already leading to significant improvements in the responsiveness of the service to life threatening incidents.

  Drummore is one of a number of communities from which volunteers have come forward in response to the Scottish Ambulance Service’s campaign to attract community first responders. I understand that the service plan to begin training the volunteers from Drummore early in the new year.

Waste Management

George Lyon (Argyll and Bute) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what action Scottish Water has taken to ensure that waste treatment systems in Campbeltown and Inveraray are working and whether it has carried out a review of new waste water treatment proposals in Argyll to ensure that any past mistakes are not repeated.

Lewis Macdonald: These are operational matters for Scottish Water and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. I understand Scottish Water will shortly meet with you to discuss their capital investment process in Argyll and Bute directly.

Water Supply

Mr Mark Ruskell (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to consult interested parties regarding the proposed Quality and Standards III investment programme for Scottish Water.

Lewis Macdonald: In January 2003, ministers established the Quality and Standard 3 project group made up of a range of stakeholders and experts to advise on the extent of the industry’s investment requirements. This process has included a range of stakeholders the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, the Drinking Water Quality Regulator, the Water Industry Commissioner and Scottish Water as well as COSLA, Scottish Natural Heritage, Scottish Federation of Housing Associations, Homes for Scotland, CBI, Scottish Consumer Council, Water Customer Consultation Panels, Communities Scotland and various interests across the Scottish Executive.

  In July 2004, ministers issued a formal consultation, Investing in Water Services 2006-2014 (Bib. number 33325) to some 6,000 individual and organisations. This was supported by the Water Customer Consultation Panels hosting a number of seminars throughout Scotland in August for stakeholders to discuss the issues raised in the consultation. In addition, we commissioned research to investigate the attitudes and priorities of Scottish Water’s domestic customers.